Bleach: The Hōgyoku Chronicles
by MathiasNightlord01
Summary: Ichigo defeats Aizen with Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō's Mugetsu technique. After Aizen is sealed by Urahara's Kido, The Hōgyoku leaves his body and grants Ichigo's unconscious wish. Sending him and Urahara into the past. Better Summary inside. No Paring yet
1. The Will of The Hōgyoku

**Bleach: The**** Hōgyoku Chronicles**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the rights to Bleach or the characters created by Tite Kubo used in this publication.

* * *

To Reviewers,

This is my first time writing a story for Bleach and I hope you like where I take it. Here's the summary:

The story will start at the exact moment Ichigo defeats Aizen with Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō's Mugetsu technique. After Aizen is sealed by Urahara's Kido, The Hōgyoku leaves his body and grants Ichigo's unconscious desire to have had the strength to defeat Aizen sooner so his friends, Human and Shinigami, wouldn't have had to suffer so much to defeat Aizen and sends him and Urahara to the past while retaining their knowledge and powers that they gained in the future.

Note: Ichigo's Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō and Mugetsu techniques have been altered so that using them will just leave him weakened for several days instead of losing his Shinigami powers.

The 'Final' just means that it is the last and most powerful Getsuga Ichigo's Zanpakutō can use and that Ichigo is at the absolute peak of his Shinigami abilities. The techniques could be considered something like the final stage or True form of his Bankai's power. Kind of like Byakuya Kuchiki's Bankai Senbonzakura Kageyoshi's Seikei and Shūkei: Hakuteiken techniques. I have also made it so it looks like Ichigo has more than one or two techinques because lets face it, Tite Kubo was a bit lazy about it and just made it so he could use Getsuga in several ways and didn't bother calling them seperate techniques when they obviously were. In this story I intent rectify that decrepancy.

Here's a list of some of his Zanpakutō techniques: Getsuga Tenshou, Kuroi Getsuga Tenshou or Kuroi Getsuga, Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, Mugetsu, and the others that I will name as the story goes on because I can't think of what to call them at the moment.

Okay! Now that that's out of the way...

Enjoy!

* * *

Normal Speech: "It's meaningless to just live, it's meaningless to just fight. I want to win!"

Thoughts: _'__...If fate is a millstone, then we are the grist. There is nothing we can do. So I wish for strength. If I cannot protect them from the wheel, then give me a strong blade, and enough strength... to shatter fate.__'_

Zanpaktou Speech: _'__Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate__**'**_

Inner Hollow Speech: _**'**__**I'm gonna devour Ichigo and take over his body for good. That's **__**MY**__** instinct**__.__**'**_

Hollow/Vizard Speech: **"****The answer to that is obvious. Absolutely not. We are not your allies. We are enemies of Aizen and allies of Ichigo."**

* * *

**Bleach: The**** Hōgyoku Chronicles**

Chapter 1: The Will of The Hōgyoku, The Pendulum Turns Back

The Winter War had finally ended and Aizen was defeated.

After training in the Dangai, using the Jizen method of communicating with his Zanpakutō and allowing him to draw out the true form of its powers, and allowing him to fight his Zanpakutō's spirit in order for Ichigo to attain access to its full abilities. Then, by accepting Tensa Zangetsu's blade, he was able to achieve the full strength of it's powers and reaching the absolute peak of his abilites as a Shinigami. This process that even the strongest of the Shinigami in Soul Society take thousands of years to complete, only took him 3 months. During this time Ichigo's power grew so great that Aizen, whose own reiatsu was so high that Shinigami and Humans were unable to sense it unless he brought it down to there level of awareness, was incapable of sensing Ichigo's reiatsu.

Ichigo then proceeded to battle Aizen in a rather one-sided duel with Ichigo emerging as the victor after he entered his Bankai's most powerful form using Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, before finally unleashing his strongest attack, Mugestu. Aizen, after suffering severe injuries as a result of Ichigo's brutal onslaught but still able to fight, tried to kill the weakened Ichigo, who had exhausted himself using Mugestu for the first time as wasn't used to using it yet. But before he could carry out the deed, the Hōgyoku had rejected him as its master and reverted Aizen back to his previous form as well as disintergating his Zanpakutō, leaving him to the mercy of Kisuke Urahara's kido seal that had been placed upon Aizen earlier by the former captian while fighting him.

In his final moments of freedom Aizen began questioning why someone like Urahara would follow "that thing", refering to the Spirit King. Kisuke, realizing Aizen must have seen "It", told Aizen that without the Spirit King's existence, that the Soul Society would be rent asunder and that "It" was the "lynchpin" and that, if the "lynchpin" was lost, then things would simply crumble away and how it was the way of the world. This caused Aizen to scream in rage as the seal finally engulfed him.

_"_That is the theory of the vanquished! Victors must always speak of the way the world should be, not the way it is!..."

Just he was completely engulfed his uncovered eye looked toward Ichigo

"I-"

The seal completed, locking him away and leaving the two alone.

Then something unexpected happened. A small, bluish-purple orb, which Ichigo realized was the Hōgyoku, slowly expelled itself from the seal and landed on the ground before rolling to stop before Ichigo. He picked up the object that had been the cause of alot of pain and suffering over the past 200 years. Kisuke approached Ichigo who sat down on a nearby rock staring at the orb.

"Its strange isn't it, Urahara-san.? That something so small, could cause so many problems."

Kisuke gazed sadly at the glowing sphere before plopping down next to Ichigo.

"Many people go through there lives never knowing that its often the smallest problems that are often the hardest to overcome."

Ichigo nodded.

"So where'd everyone go?"

Kisuke smiled.

"They've all gone home. It looked like they wanted to talk to you...But found you difficult to approach."

Ichigo looked at him questioningly.

"Don't tell me you've wiped their memories."

Kisuke shook his head.

"No...I didn't do anything this time."

Ichigo blinked.

"Oh...well...that's good."

Then suddenly the seal vanished into thin air. Ichigo gave Kisuke a look that asked him to explain.

"Aizen's seal was sent to Seiretei. The new Central 46 will decide what's to be done with him."

Ichigo looked down at the Hōgyoku.

"...Oh."

Kisuke gazed at him pensively.

"What's that look for?"

Ichigo continued to look down at the little orb.

"I don't really know...I guess, that I wish that if I could have attained this power eariler...than alot of people never would have gotten hurt you know?"

Kisuke gave him a sad smile.

"Kurosaki-san, by risking your life to defeat Aizen, you saved the world, and saved everyone's lives."

Ichigo still continued to gaze at the Hōgyoku.

"...I know"

Kisuke seeing that it didn't raise his young friends spirits, placed a hand on his shoulder. The young man looked up to see his one-time swordmaster brightly smiling down at him.

"You did good. There's no reason you should look like that."

Suprised Ichigo shook his head and put on a convincing grin then offered the orb to Urahara.

"I believe this is yours."

Kisuke's smile lowered as he looked at his creation. He really didn't want it but he couldn't think of anyone he could trust to keep it out of the wrong hands so he reached out to take it.

That's when something happened that startled them. The moment Kisuke's fingers touched the Hōgyoku it suddenly emitted a powerful force that engulfed him and Ichigo in a pillar of purplish-grey light. All the Shinigami, Vizards, and Ichigo's friends could see and feel the energy being discharged from the powerful object. They all rushed to the scene where Kisuke and Ichigo were said to have been. When they got there however, all they found was and empty clearing and the Hōgyoku glowing brightly before dying down back to it's regular shimmering light...

* * *

Ichigo and Kisuke felt themselves being pulled through what appeared to them as long black tunnel. Images showing themselves to be memories of the past year and half rushed by them in reverse, like they were somehow rewinding the events that had taken place like a somekind of tape. Ichigo turned his head to where Kisuke was currently falling next to him.

"Urahara-san! Whats happening!"

Kisuke's thoughts where racing to find out what had happened when he touched the Hōgyoku. He came to his conclusion seconds later as took notice of the images flying past them and Ichigo's eariler words to him and figured out what happened. He called out to ichigo over the sound made by the winds.

"The Hōgyoku must have responded to your desire to prevent the suffering of our comrades at the exact moment I touched the Hōgyoku! This place were passing through is probably something the Hōgyoku created to send us into the past!"

Ichigo was stunned. They were traveling back through time! He knew the Hōgyoku was powerful but this was insane.

He then noticed something missing in Kisuke's theory.

"But if the the Hōgyoku was responding to my desire then why are you here!"

Kisuke thought about for a moment before anwsering.

"Not sure. I think that when I touched the Hōgyoku during its activation I was dragged along with you be mistake."

Then suddenly they saw a light at the end of the tunnel before passing through it to arrive at the point in time the Hōgyoku had intended. They were in the underground complex beneath Kisuke's shop at the exact moment Ichigo awakened the dormant powers of his shinigami blood, as well as the Hollow powers he had gained from his forced Encroachment during the Trial of the Shattered Shaft. Their bodies suddenly turned into streaks of light and fused with their past selves, completing their journey into the past. Kisuke was surprised but oriented himself back into his body as the Ichigo's monsterously powerful reiastu rained down on them as he emerged from the Shattered Shaft.

However, when the smoke cleared it wasn't the same as last time. This time Ichigo's mask wasn't the one he had originally but the new mask he had worn in the aftermath of his victory over Ulquiorra Cifer, the 4th espada. But that wasn't the only thing that had changed. Ichigo's sealed blade was not the oversized Katana that had been cut down almost to the hilt by the 6th division captian, Byakuya Kuchiki during their first encounter. The sealed form of Ichigo's Zanpakutō had instead changed into a very long ceremonial Nodachi with no-cross guard and a sheath with the same purplish-blue color as the light of the Hōgyoku.

His past body had also changed into the body he had during his fight with Aizen and his hair grew out to the same length. All of these factors combined with the extremely high and dense level of reiastu he emitted made him look both terrifyingly powerful and extremely dangerous. Kisuke watched how the weight of Ichigo's reiastu was enough to force Ururu and Jinta to their hands and knees gasping for breath before passing out second later. Tessai on the the other hand being the former captain of the Kidō Corps in Soul Society, was able to stay standing but was amazed and frightned by what he was sensing and seeing.

_'I haven't felt a reiastu this strong since I witnessed Genryūsai Yamamoto release his Shikai Ryujin Jakka during a demonstration he made at the Shinno Acedemy when me and Kisuke were just students! Ichigo Kurosaki, what is he?' _

Kisuke grinned it this was perfect! So many things could be prevented with their knowledge of the future! With Ichigo's power they could change so many things! But for now they could do was prepare themselves. He walked up to Ichigo out of earshot of the others. The young shinigami hybrid turned his masked face toward Kisuke, who inside couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved by Ichigo's intense hollowfied eyes.

"How do feel...Ichigo?"

Ichigo lifted his changed Zanpakutō to eye level and tilted his head in curiosity.

**"It's different than before."**

His voice echoed as a consequence of both his normal voice and his inner Hollow's voice speaking simultaneously. Kisuke nodded in agreement.

"Probably because you have more control over your reistsu now then you did before after your training in the Dangai. You can probably even seal your sword completely now, unlike before where your lack of control caused it to stay permenantly in it's Shikai state. Your mask has also changed to the one you wore in the Fake Karakura Town."

Ichigo thought about it a little before accepting Kisuke's theory. It made sense seeing as Ichigo was able to focus his senses to pinpoint Karin and Yuzu's location from several miles away before forcefully moving Aizen to the location of their fight. He put up a hand toward his mask and willed it away with a dismissive gesture. The mask dissappated in a wisp of black and red reiatsu and the power he was emitting lowered down to more tolerable levels while still being quite powerful despite the loss.

"Your probably right. It seems that we were able to retain our abilities during the timetravel."

He looked down toward his sealed Zanpakutō then toward a random boulder.

"I wonder..."

He unsheathed the weapon and swiftly slashed it sideways toward a nearby boulder. The wake of his sword's movement caused cracks in the earth beneath ichigo's feet while creating a deep gouge in front of him and the boulder was spilt evenly in two before crumbling to dust along with causing some damage to the landscape around it. Kisuke was force to take a step back to keep the wind built up from Ichigo's stroke to keep himself from falling over. It was similar to how Kenpachi Zaraki had used his unnamed Zanpakutō to slice apart a skyscraper with a mere flick of his wrist.

Kisuke looked on with approval.

"Impressive. Guess there's no point in sparring this time as you already have the experience needed this time to storm the Soul Society, won't they be suprised at how powerful you have become...It to bad though, I would have liked sparring with you again."

Ichigo was thoughtful.

"Yeah, me to. but even though I've mastered Zanjutsu, there is still room for me to improve. I'm skilled in Hohō but I'm not particularly versed in its various techniques. My skill in Hakuda is good but not as good as people like Yama-ojisan or Soi Fon-san's and I have never been taught how to do Kido at all. Plus, I never learned how to use my hollow powers beyond summoning my hollow mask. So there's quite a bit I can still learn."

Kisuke thought over Ichigo's words and he had to agree with the young Vizard.

"Well then I guess I will have to train you in Hakuda, Hohō Techniques while Tessai trains you in Kido, as the former captain of the Kidō Corps he would be much better suited to the task. But before that I want to tell you to be careful not to let on that you know more than you should if you can help it. It would lead to people asking questions. However, for the sake of appearences will have to spar at least for a few hours and have you release your Zanpakutō to keep Tessai and the others from wondering about your sudden increase in skill."

Ichigo nodded.

"Well, at least we'll get that spar we wanted after all."

Kisuke smiled.

"Indeed...Okay Ichigo...show me what you got!"

Kisuke took off his hat and slipped off his top, revealing a slim musculature that was almost the same as Ichigo's. Ichigo gave Urahara a savage grin similar to his Inner Hollow's at the thought of sparing with his former master. He also shucked off the top part of his Shihakushō, letting it hang off of him the same Yamamoto does when he goes into battle.

"Your on...Urahara-sensei."

Kisuke unsheathed his Zanpakutō and entered his usual stance as Ichigo did the same before they let forth a battle cry, both releasing impressive amounts of reiatsu.

"Let's go!"

They used Shunpo to speed toward each other at in incredible speeds before meeting each other in a powerful clash of steel against steel, neither one willing to give an inch, neither one willing to give the other any quarter. It was a battle between two captain-level shinigami that left their audience in stunned awe as they were about to witness something the likes of which they had never seen before...

**Chapter End. **

**

* * *

**

Like it? I hope you do because this I the first time I've written a story for bleach and hope that I did well. I know I'm evil for leaving you with that cliffhanger. Guess that means you'll just have to read the next chapter to find out what happens next now won't you.

if you have any questions please make them in the reviews or send me an PM and I will answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability.

Please send LOTS, LOTS, and LOTS of reviews and tell me what you all think!

Signed,

MathiasNightlord01


	2. The Training & Entering The Soul Society

**Bleach: The Hōgyoku Chronicles**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the rights to Bleach or the characters created by Tite Kubo used in this publication.

To the Reviewers,

Thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Enjoy.

* * *

Normal Speech: "It's meaningless to just live, it's meaningless to just fight. I want to win!"

Thoughts: _'...If fate is a millstone, then we are the grist. There is nothing we can do. So I wish for strength. If I cannot protect them from the wheel, then give me a strong blade, and enough strength... to shatter fate.'_

Zanpaktou Speech: _'Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate__**'**_

Inner Hollow Speech: _**'I'm gonna devour Ichigo and take over his body for good. That's MY instinct**__.__**'**_

Hollow/Vizard Speech: **"The answer to that is obvious. Absolutely not. We are not your allies. We are enemies of Aizen and allies of Ichigo."**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Training & Entering The Soul Society

Kisuke and Ichigo's mock battle had begun in earnest, both combats clashing with matching grins as they struggled to gain an advantage over one another. The first time they had done this, Kisuke had completely overwhelmed the inexperienced Ichigo in order to help him find his resolve and learn the name of his Zanpakutō. This time however it was a battle between equals, both being master level swordsman. Ichigo's longer blade gave him a slight advantage over his teacher because of it's reach, combined with his skill with Shunpo allowed him to keep Kisuke on his toes. But Kisuke hadn't been a captain for nothing and was able to keep Ichigo from landing anything other than a few minor scratches while giving Ichigo the same treatment. Their audience watched in awe as this deadly dance of blades continued, Tessai in particular was stunned at what he was seeing_._

_'I knew Ichigo had talent for swordsmanship but this is incredible! He's fighting so evenly with Kisuke, who has several hundred years of combat experience more than Ichigo, and yet I can tell Kisuke isn't holding back. The boy has strength like I have never seen before. If he is as powerful as I suspect then he will be an almost unstoppable force when this is over.' _

Tessai didn't know just how right he was as Ichigo and Kisuke took their fight to the next level.

Kisuke had just evaded a powerful horizonal strike from Ichigo's nodachi, which destroyed a nearby rock formation due to the sheer brute strength behind Ichigo's sword stroke. Ichigo noticed his retreat and watched as Kisuke entered a new stance.

"Well Ichigo now that were all warmed up I think it's time we stepped this battle up a notch don't you think."

Ichigo grinned at the prospect of seeing Kisuke use his shikai's true power. He had watched Kisuke's fight with Aizen and known that the shop keeper had held back a lot when training him the first time. But unlike before, Kisuke couldn't afford to hold back against Ichigo as he was just too powerful an opponent. Ichigo pointed his sword at Kisuke, friendly challenging his teacher.

"Bring it on...Show me your strength, Urahara-sensei."

Kisuke felt Ichigo's enthusiasm spreading to him. Every Shinigami secretly enjoyed a good battle with a strong opponent that could challenge them; it was just their nature, which made them similar to hollows in that respect. It was one of the few things that Shinigami actually had in common with the spirits that inhabited the desert world of Hueco Mundo. Kisuke started to grin as well as he answered Ichigo's challenge.

"Alright then...Lets go! Awaken, Benihime!"

Everyone watched as Kisuke's glowing red shikomizue transformed into a sleek, medium-sized sword. The grip had a gentle decorative bend that ended with a crimson tassel dangling from the pommel. Instead of a cross guard, there was a U-shaped decoration covering the first three or four inches of blade, with a flower petal design just as it met a red string wrapping. The string was wrapped thrice around the hilt, with a three-loop bow on one side and a folded paper decoration on the other. Benihime's blade was straight and slim, though somewhat short, with the tip ending in a slanted razor-like edge instead of being tapered to a point. All in all Kisuke's sword looked as beautiful as it was deadly befitting it's namesake. The reiatsu of it's release was powerful causing Ururu and Jinta to start panting hard as they had never felt Kisuke release this much power before.

Then to everyone's surprise but Kisuke's, Ichigo's grin never faltered as he upped his game as well. What Kisuke didn't recognize was Ichigo's new stance. The orange-haired Vizard flipped his sword into a reverse grip in front of him in a downward angle with his right hand while holding the sheath in the opposite direction with his left. Kisuke surprise toward Ichigo's movements grew as the younger man released his sword in a way Kisuke had never seen before. Ichigo's reiatsu started to rise as a circle of dust swirled at his feet.

"Rise above the heavens and bear your fang toward the rising moon...Zangetsu!"

The reiatsu that had been building up around Ichigo burst out in the form of a powerful purplish-blue shockwave that reached all the way to the ceiling of the training ground, causing it to crumble under the weight of his power. Kisuke was slowly being pushed backward and leaving a small trail where his geta clad feet dug into the ground before coming to a stop. The reiatsu Ichigo was releasing forced Ururu and Jinta to their knees and had trouble breathing under the combined weight of the two combatants' strength. Tessai sweated in slight fear of from sensing Ichigo's vast reiatsu as grabbed his fellow employees and used Shunpo to move them to a more suitable location. They reappeared some ways away from the duo and the feel of their reiatsu. Though they could still feel it from their location, the staff of Urahara Shōten regained their composure and watched as the smoke cleared to reveal Ichigo holding his Zanpakutō's released form. What they saw surprised them, as well as the combatants.

Ichigo's nodachi had changed to become a very large and elegant blade. The Zanpakutō's appearance had changed from what Kisuke and Ichigo remembered, it was no longer a oversized cleaver. Instead the blade was slightly reshaped; curving inwards at the backside of the tip similar to a trench knife. It had no tsuba and a silver hilt with dark wrappings and a short length of chain at its base. The sword was almost as tall as Ichigo was, 1.90 meters, and had a black blade with a silver edge. The chain on the hilt seemed to react to Ichigo's will, as he had it expand before he used it to swing the weapon like a flail. The reiatsu the blade began to burn the air around it as its power increased. Both student and teacher looked at each other in a stare down, waiting for one of them to make move.

"Well, didn't see that coming. Since when did you start using a release command? I don't remember you doing that the last time we did this. Then, there's your Shikai, it's different than I remember."

Ichigo shrugged.

"Dunno. I think when I completed Jinzen in the Dangai, Zangetsu changed to its true appearance that I wasn't ready for it till then, and learned to release it at the same time I learned Saiga no Getsuga Tenshō, but I can't be certain. So...now that we have that out of the way...I guess I should do this."

Kisuke's eyes narrowed as Ichigo stopped spinning Zangetsu from its chain and grabbed his sword's hilt before swinging his monstrously large blade toward Kisuke.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

At the instant of the slash, Zangetsu absorbed Ichigo's reiryoku and released highly condensed reiryoku at the tip of the blade, magnifying the slash attack and then flew forward. This slash took the form of a crescent moon or the shape of a wave depending on who you asked. Ichigo had powered down the technique so he wouldn't cause any unnecessary damage to the town. If he had used the technique at full power it probably would have demolished a good-sized portion of Karakura Town.

Kisuke brought up his own sword in order to defend against Zangetsu's well-known power and knew if he let that attack hit he might just lose something important.

"Scream, Benihime!"

Benihime's defensive ability answered her master's call. The Zanpakutō's formed a hexagonal-shaped **"**Blood Mist Shield**"** in front of Urahara to protect him from Ichigo's attack.

The shield managed to block the attack but it wasn't enough to keep Kisuke from being pushed back several feet while leaving skid marks in the ground from the sheer force of Zangetsu's power. The attack left behind a large crevice in the earth that narrowed until it stopped at Kisuke's position. Not wanting to be outdone Kisuke smirked.

"Scream, Benihime!"

This time, instead of a shield, Benihime released a particularly strong and destructive crimson-colored energy blast. It also held almost the same amount of strength as the Getsuga Tenshō Ichigo had just released.

Ichigo seeing the deadly projectile acted quickly before he was hit by the oncoming blast. He slashed at the ground in front of him. The attack upturned a large section of the ground in front of Ichigo and acted as a shield as Urahara's attack collided with his makeshift defense. The blast broke through the formation but weakened it enough for Ichigo to simply use Zangetsu to deflect it away from him toward a small nearby canyon.

Using the dust as a distraction, Ichigo expanded the chain again and started spinning the blade from his right side. He reached out with his senses to confirm Kisuke's location before launching Zangetsu toward his teacher at blinding speed.

Kisuke was waiting for Ichigo's response and soon received a nasty surprise as a very fast moving Zangetsu flying toward him at breakneck speed. He brought out his shield again but was shocked when Zangetsu's blade managed to pierce through the shield slightly, the tip of the blade pointing a few feet directly toward his face. Kisuke's eyes widened as he heard a voice from behind the shield.

"You know this shield may be strong but it leaves you unable to see your enemies once your behind it...Making it easy for them to attack you!"

Kisuke reacted quickly as Zangetsu's blade came down, slicing through the shield before it crumbled away revealing a savagely grinning Ichigo who quickly used Shunpo to appear in front of Kisuke while meeting his blade in midair. Ichigo never touched the ground as he forced his master backwards several yards with shear brute strength grinding Zangetsu against Benihime's smaller blade. Kisuke managed to regain his footing and locked himself and Ichigo in a sword lock.

"Impressive. You caught me off guard. I've never seen you use Zangetsu like that before. I didn't know you could use it as a mid-range weapon as well. I must say it's an interesting move. I applaud you for your skill. It takes a lot to catch me unawares. I'm also impressed you could break through Benihime's defense, not many have been able to do that."

The grin Ichigo had when he severed through Benihime's shield never faltered as he placed his other hand on the blunt side of Zangetsu's blade.

"Well if you're impressed by that. Then I guess you'll love this."

Kisuke's eyes bugged out as Ichigo's expression turned from a savage grin to an almost psychotic looking smirk and Zangetsu's blade began to glow.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

Kisuke was enveloped in a massive wave of explosive reiryoku that was slightly more powerful than the last attack. The winds kicked up from the blast was enough to lift Ururu and Jinta, who where a good distance away, off their feet and flying away before they were caught and pulled back down by Tessai, who was also struggling to keep himself from falling over and was forced to take a step back.

_'What was that! That attack looked powerful enough to cause Kisuke some serious injuries! I hope he's alright.' _

Tessai's hopes where fulfilled as the smoke cleared to reveal a shaken but mostly unharmed Urahara kneeling behind a moderately cracked but intact Bakudō # 81 Danku. Tessai could also see the remnants of one of Benihime's shields rapidly dispersing in front of the powerful spell. He was also bleeding from the crown of his forehead and the forearm of his sword hand but other than that he looked relatively unharmed. The area around him however wasn't as lucky and was completely devastated.

_'I see...He used Benihime's shield to buy himself time to bring up the barrier. I never would have though Ichigo could force Kisuke to use an level 80 Kido spell through sheer force alone. This kid's strength must be monstrous if he can push Kisuke this far so soon after regaining his powers.'_

Ichigo surveyed his handiwork with a satisfied smirk.

"You alright Urahara-sensei?"

Urahara shook his head at Ichigo and dispelled his Kido. He pulled out a cloth and small jar from his pocket before he wiped away the blood from his forehead and arm. He then applied a special ointment he had invented from the jar and placed it over his wounds to temporarily stop the bleeding before putting them away and facing Ichigo with a cheery smile.

"Yeah...I'm alright, just a few minor injuries, nothing to worry about. That was a good move, very unexpected. Had it been anyone else I doubt they would have been able to survive that attack or at least...not without sustaining a few severe injuries. Well played Ichigo that was an excellent strategy. For your excellent and cunning plan I Kisuke Urahara salute you."

He brought up Benihime to the front of his face then slashed down to his side displaying his respect for Ichigo.

Ichigo smiled and bowed his head toward Kisuke.

"Thank you, Urahara-sensei. I never would have gotten this far without your help."

Kisuke chuckled as he sealed his Zanpakutō back into its previous form and signaling to Ichigo that was the end of the spar. He waved over his staff before turning back to Ichigo.

"Well I believe we've satisfied our audience with a good enough performance don't you think? Now I think it's time for you to start your other training."

Ichigo nodded and with a mere thought his Zanpakutō shrank down and returned to its sealed state. He then slid it back into it sheath before strapping the blade across his back using the thick, red rosary-like strap attached to the sheath. Then waited for the others to arrive along with Kisuke to allow them to attend to their wounds.

**Time skip: 2 weeks and 3 days later...**

Ichigo and Kisuke had used their time well over the past two weeks in order to better prepare for their Invasion into the Soul Society. Kisuke had contacted his friend Yoruichi Shihōin, who was training Chad and Orihime to use her powers and informed her that he there was a slight change in his plans for them. He told her that Chad would be training with someone else and that she would be training Orihime with some help from an old acquaintance of theirs, one Hachigen Ushōda also known as Hachi, one of the Vizards that were once helped by Urahara when he tried to reverse their Hollowfication using the Hōgyoku, to help Orihime develop her abilities as his powers were similar to hers while Yoruichi, who was forced to reveal her true form early, helped increase her speed and skills in hand-to-hand combat.

The young woman had become much stronger than she was before under the duo's tutelage and her abilities were strong enough to take on most seated shinigami officers and even some lieutenants like Nemu Kurotsuchi, Momo Hinamori, and Isane Kotetsu. She was still weaker than a captain or a upper-level lieutenants like Renji Abarai, Izuru Kira, and Shūhei Hisagi. However, outside of combat was where Orihime had improved the most as her skills with her power to reject fate by denying or undoing events in various forms had grown to the point where she could even resurrect the dead if needed, albeit with some difficulty. This made her a force to fear and respect and she impressed her teachers greatly.

She also had changed her outfit to better suit the purpose of fighting in the Soul Society. It was identical to the white Onmitsukidō uniform of the correction corps that Yoruichi had worn in her younger days, only it was more form fitting and had a longer skirt piece that went down near her ankles making it more like a dress. She also didn't wear her hairclips anymore letting her bangs frame her face and clipping them to the left side of the collar of her new uniform.

Chad's new teacher was another Vizard named Love Aikawa, who was instructed by Urahara to take Chad to Hueco Mundo where the atmosphere would help develop his powers faster than before. Love took Chad to the Menos Forest, a place underneath the deserts of the Hollow world where the Menos-class Hollows resided. Love forced the young human to battle the powerful hollows in order for him to learn to control his powers. The Vizard would only step in if the human became too tired to defend himself and allowed him to rest in one of the hollowed out quartz trees, before throwing him back into the fray with the Menos.

Needless to say Love's training method proved effective as within two weeks Chad was able to evolve and release his powers to their highest extent, now manifesting as the two armored arms he had gained last time during his fight with Gantenbainne Mosqueda. His strength now rivaled that of a captain or a upper-level lieutenant as well as being powerful enough that he could defeat a former Espada in combat and his training had increased his strength and speed signifigantly. He also had changed his attire to the same outfit he had worn during their invasion into Hueco Mundo.

Urahara had also contacted Uryū's father, Ryūken Ishida, and informed him of his sons intentions of helping them invade the Soul Society and asked him to train his son. At first, Ryūken refused. But after much persuasion on Urahara's part, he relented and decided to train his estranged son. He found Uryū just as he was about to place his grandfather's gift, the Sanrei Shutō, on his hand and stopped him before he could put it on.

After a heated argument between the two, Uryū accepted Ryūken's offer to train him under the condition that he was to find the Shinigami that had killed his grandfather and defeat him. After allowing Uryū to place on the Sanrei Shutō, he had trained his son into the ground until he could now fight on par with shinigami captains and Espada-level Arrancar. Uryū, like Chad, had also adopted the uniform he had worn during their invasion of Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo's training had also produced great results. His skills in Hohō and Hakuda had increased to the levels of a master like Soi Fon. After training with Tessai, Ichigo's skills in Kidō had also risen to the level of a Kidō expert. After contacting the Vizards, was taught by Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi or Rose how to use hollow techniques like Cero. This led to Ichigo finding out that he could go even further than the Vizard in terms of Hollowfication and discovered that he had several powers that they didn't possess, such as High-Speed Regeneration, Telekinesis, and Sonído. Ichigo also had the power to use Resurrección allowing him fully access his true sealed away Hollow powers and enter a more hollow-like form. In the end the training was almost a complete success and Ichigo had become a near-unstoppable force.

Ichigo, like his friends, had also decided to change his look and modified his shinigami uniform to look like the one he had worn when he had stopped Rukia's execution on Sōkyoku Hill. But unlike last time didn't have Tentōken cloak that Yoruichi had let him borrow and had simply donned an identical cloak only it was black and didn't allow him to fly. This gave him quite the mysterious and powerful appearance.

They had met at Urahara's Shop where Urahara and Yoruichi explained the purpose of the Senkaimon to the others, as Ichigo already knew what they were talking about. Urahara then told them much to Yoruichi's and everyone else's surprise was that once through the Senkaimon command fell jointly to Ichigo and Yoruichi. The former 2nd division captain accepted this only after a brief whispered conversation with Kisuke, who explained that Ichigo now possessed a power greater than that of a captain-level shinigami.

There were a few protests from Uryū but quickly ended because Ichigo commented there was no time to argue and if he was coming with them he needed to know they could depend on him. This logic stalled more protests from Uryū, as he wanted to prove to his friends that he could be depended on, especially to Orihime. They entered the Senkaimon and managed to reach Soul Society much faster than before thanks to their newfound speed and got out before the Kōtotsu could make its rounds.

And thus the time to save Rukia from her execution had finally arrived...

**Chapter End**

* * *

Like it? I worked really hard to find research all the information needed to piece this together and hope that you've enjoyed the chapter. This was my first time writing a detailed fight scene for bleach and also my first time travel fic so it I lived up to some of your expectations.

if you have any questions please make them in the reviews or send me an PM and I will answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability.

Please, send LOTS, LOTS, and LOTS of reviews so I may be inspired by you and so I don't suffer the terrible curse that all us authors face sometimes known as writers block. Thank you for your reviews and hope you've enjoyed the chapter.

Signed,

MathiasNightlord01


	3. The Break In  pt 1

**Bleach: The Hōgyoku Chronicles**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the rights to Bleach or the characters created by Tite Kubo used in this publication.

To the Reviewers,

Thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter after my long absence.

Now alot of people have been commenting that Ichigo has somehow become a master of Kido, this is not so. If you look more closely at the chapter you'll see that he isn't a kido master, but a kido expert. Someone who is proficent but not versed in all the techniques like a master like Byuaka who is versed in all techniques of kido. Ichigo in cannon is also noted not to be a master of Shunpo, but an expert due to the fact that he didn't now techniques like senka. The same rule applies here. He can perform it well enough but hasn't completely mastered the diciplne.

Also, to the people who commented on the fact I didn't write out the whole training of the group before starting the SS arc. I apologize about the timeskip. however, there was a reason for it. I am planning sometime in the middle of my rescue arc a series of interlude filler chapters that focus on each of the characters during the month of training before the SS invasion.

Anyway just wanted to clear those things up before I began this chapter.

Enjoy.

* * *

Normal Speech: "It's meaningless to just live, it's meaningless to just fight. I want to win!"

Thoughts: _'...If fate is a millstone, then we are the grist. There is nothing we can do. So I wish for strength. If I cannot protect them from the wheel, then give me a strong blade, and enough strength... to shatter fate.'_

Zanpaktou Speech: _'Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate__**'**_

Inner Hollow Speech: _**'I'm gonna devour Ichigo and take over his body for good. That's MY instinct**__.__**'**_

Hollow/Vizard Speech: **"The answer to that is obvious. Absolutely not. We are not your allies. We are enemies of Aizen and allies of Ichigo."**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Break In - part 1.

Ichigo and the Ryoka landed gracefully as they exited the Senkaimon. Like last time they had arrived at the West gate of the Seireitei guarded by Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, though only Ichigo and Yoruichi were aware of that. Ichigo knew that some of the events from his time had to play out in order for Ichigo and Kisuke to accurately predict the timeline. However, that didn't mean things couldn't be altered.

Ichigo turned to the others.

"Alright, from judging what Kisuke told me about the Seireitei we're most likely at the West Gate in the Junrinan district."

He already knew where they were but decided to say it for the others benefit. He glanced toward Yoruichi.

"Am I right?"

She nodded; surprised that he knew their location only after a few minutes. He smirked confusing the others before he turned and started calmly walking toward the gate. Yoruichi seeing where he was heading yelled.

"Wait you idiot! You can't just walk up to the gate like that!"

Ichigo ignored her and continued walking toward the gate. A few seconds later the others began to follow him. The Flash Goddess frowned; she didn't like being ignored, but followed to make sure the kid didn't get himself killed.

Before they got about 20 feet from the gate, it slammed down creating a large dust cloud that ruffled their clothes from the wind. Ichigo stood still as he knew what was coming, his face half-obscured by the high collar of his cloak as the others shielded themselves from the dust and wind. When the dust cleared it revealed Jidanbō, who towered over them with a neutral look as he took their measure.

"Well, well it's been a long time since anyone tried to pass through the Spirit Gate without permission. And I don't get many guests these days. So welcome little man."

The giant smirked at the group. But then noticed the intruder standing before him didn't seem the least bit perturbed by the giant. Which was surprising considering most would at least have a reaction to his hulking size. But this guy didn't have any reaction to him at all. The intruder looked up and that was when the giant began to feel uneasy. When he looked into the man's eyes, he saw there was power in his gaze. Then, the man suprised him by bowing his head slightly. When he spoke Jidanbō's anxiousness grew.

"Greetings,...seeing as we are at the west gate, you must be Jidanbō."

The giant raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so you have heard of me? And who might you be, little man?"

The man's powerful eyes grew in intensity as he replied sending shivers down his spine.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

The giant nodded, then pulled out the first of his axes and smashed the hilt in into the ground kicking up the dust. He had guarded this gate for centuries and he wouldn't allow himself to fail. He laughed as he declared to his opponent.

"Muhahhahahahahaha! Whenever you are ready give it all you've got! And good luck."

Then he noticed his adversary trembling slightly, at first Jidanbō thought it might be because of fear. But then he heard a deep chuckling coming from Ichigo. The giant was confused.

"You find something amusing, Kurosaki-san?"

The orange-haired teen looked up to the giant, his gaze reflecting his thoughtfulness.

"Yeah...you seem to be under the impression that I am your opponent."

The giant looked back confused.

"You approached the gate first, usually that means you would fight me first. But if you are not the challenger, then who is?"

Ichigo smirked behind the high collar of his cloak, this was gonna be good. He shifted slightly and lifted his arm from beneath his cloak and pointed toward his friends.

"Her."

The giant looked back at the group, searchng for his would-be opponent and finding the teen pointing toward a girl with hair similar to his wearing a surprised look on her face as she pointed at herself.

"Me?"

Ichigo nodded, he had aboslute faith that she could handle the guardian. "Show them not to question your resolve." And it wasn't just the Shinigami he was talking about. Other than Ichigo and Yoruichi, the others seemed to think the girl needed protecting. They were about to find out just how wrong they were. She may have been the weakest among them in terms of strength, but she was far from helpless. The girl's face took on a determined look and started toward the gate.

Uryū tried to grab her to stop her from fighting the giant. But was suprised when a hand shot of of nowhere. Everyone, including Yoruichi, turned to see Ichigo gripping his wrist, allowing Orihime to launch herself toward the gate with speed the Quincy didn't know she had.

"No Uryū. This is her fight, or do you have so little faith in her?"

Uryū looked shocked before Ichigo let go of his arm and turned toward the upcoming fight. "Don't worry, I wouldn't have chose her if I didn't believe she could win." Uryū turned his gaze toward the two combatants. _'Is she really powerful enough to beat this brute? I thought she hated fighting.' _

Chad, who was about to go help the girl stopped when he heard the confidence in Ichigo's voice. He turned to the battle_. 'Good luck, Orihime._' Yoruichi grinned, she saw what Ichigo was doing and applauded his ability to lead, as well as his respect for women who often where thought of as helpless._ 'Go get'em him._

* * *

**(With Orihime & Jidanbō) **

Jidanbō looked down at the young girl approaching him. She didn't look like much of a fighter at first glance, but something about this girl reminded him Captain Unohana of the 4th Division. a sweet, soft-spoken, polite, and caring person, but someone everyone knows never to piss off or take her lightly. Which is why Despite her gentle nature, several members of the 11th Division and even the other Captains fear her. He had a feeling their was more to this girl than meets the eye. She stopped and look up at him with a gentle look that made him wish he didn't have to fight her.

"Greetings, little one. Are you sure you wish to fight me."

Orihime smiled at the giant. "Sorry, but me and my friends need to get inside the gate. Even if it means I have to fight. I will do what I must to see our misson through." Then she remembered she hadn't introduced herself. She bowed slightly toward Jidanbō.

"Oh! by the way my name is Orihime Inoe, its nice to meet you Jidanbō-san!"

Then she ended the bow and entered a fighting stance taught to her by Yoruichi.

Jidanbō grinned at the girl. '_yep, she's just like Unohana-taicho. Always polite, even toward her enemies.'_ Now he really didn't want to fight her now. But he was the guardian of the gate and it was his job to stop all intruders, no matter who they were. He would end this quickly, he didn't want the girl to suffer.

"It was nice to meet you to Orihime Inoe. Now I'm afraid this conversation is over...NOW!" He roared as he brought his massive axe down on upon her.

Orihime's eyes narrowed as the weapon slammed toward her. Then she smirked.

"Santen Kesshun...I reject."

* * *

**(With Ichigo & Co.)**

When Uryū saw the axe decend and crash into the girl his heart skipped a beat. He looked on in horror and shouted over the wind caused by the gaint's strike.

"ORIHIME!"

The wind died down. As the Quincy waited for the clouds to clear, he heard someone chuckling and turned to see it was Yoruichi. Then he saw ichigo was wearing a grin. He instantly rounded on two.

"You two think this funny! Orihime could be dead!"

This stopped Yoruichi's chuckling, Uryū cringed when her eyes gave of a dangerous edge and he knew he had crossed some invisible line. He also saw Ichigo give him a glare of his own.

"Maybe you should take a closer look, before you put your foot in your mouth any further Uryū...Then maybe you'll see just how much your underestimating her. She's not as helpless as you seem to think."

The Quincy stared at them for a moment before turning toward the battle. He reached out with his senses, and was suprised when he noticed a strong reiatsu that was steadly raising from within the smokescreen. Then wind started to pick up again a blew away the dust revealing...

"What the..."

Ichigo and Yoruichi grinned at what they saw and both of them were thinking. _'This is gonna be good.'_

* * *

**(With Orihime and Jidanbō)**

Jidanbō looked down where his axe struck with sadness, unlike most of the people trying to force their way through the gate, the girl was someone he could respect. He was about to turn to the others when he felt a powerful reiatsu rising from within the cloud made by his axe.

**AN:(Insert Battle Music: Bleach OST 1- Track 16 -Heat Of Battle)**

"Huh?"

He looked down as the wind kicked up from the sudden release of power. What he saw surprised him. Under the blade of the huge weapon, behind a golden triangular shield, stood a completely unharmed Orihime. The giant's eyes widened, the shield the girl was using to hold back his axe wasn't even cracked! A small circle of wind swirled around Orihime as the girl's reiatsu started to affect him. He could feel the weight of the girl's power bearing down upon him. _'This reiatsu! I've only ever felt reiatsu this strong from lieutenants!' _The girl looked up toward him with an angry glare that made his blood freeze.

"Who are you? Orihime Inoe!"

His mouth gaped as he beheld the young woman, her glare seemingly holding him in place along with her reiatsu.

"That wasn't nice Jidanbō-san, don't you know it isn't polite to attack before your opponent is ready!"

A tic mark appeared on his forehead as he growled slightly before the growl tranformed into full-blown laughter. Orihime blinked, perplexed as he pulled his axe back from her shield which blocked the wind generated by the giants laughing. After he was finished he addressed the confused girl with newfound mirth.

**AN:(End Track)**

"Well, it seems I underestimated you! I can't remember the last time someone was able to stop the thrust of my axe."

He chuckled slightly as he moved toward Orihime with an excited grin on his face.

"This is going to be fun! For once I'll be able to give it everything I have! Of all the intruders who have tried to get past this gate, there have only been two before you who were powerful enough to stop my first thrust...But that is where the story ends. because neither they, nor you, could ever hope TO FEND OFF MY SECOND THRUST!"

He lifted his arm again and thrust his axe down once more toward the oranage-haired girl. Orihime's eyes as she brought up her shield again to fend off the giants attack. The axe struck the shield again, only to meet the same result as before.

**AN:(Insert Battle Music: Bleach OST 3 - Track 12 -Quincy's Craft)**

Jidanbō groaned in annoyance. "Aggggh! Are you still standing! I guess I get to keep trying my attacks on you then!"

The giant frowned toward the girl who looked back defiantly. Then the behemoth grinned as he brought up his axe for another strike.

"See how you this! Jidan 10-Strike festival!" He brought the axe down on Orihime's shield as she stood glaring up at the giant. "One!"

He thrusted agian "Two!" and Again. "Three!"

He kept pounding away at the shield which was still holding back his attacks seemingly without effort.

* * *

**(With Ichigo & Co.)**

Uryū watched in confusion at the giants behavior.

"What in the world is this guy doing? Doesn't he realize he's outmatched?"

Ichigo decided to spare the Quincy the headache of trying to use logic where Shinigami like Jidanbō were concerned.

"He knows, but as a Shinigami and Guardian of the West Gate, Jidanbō's pride and honor won't allow him to give up, even if he knows he can't win. The other reason is because Shinigami like him love to have a good fight, then again alot of Shinigami are like that. At least that what I got from fighting and listening to Urahara."

Uryū looked at Ichigo for a moment, not expecting such a insight from the orange-haired Shinigami. Then, turned back to the battle chalking Ichigo's insight to the fact that Ichigo himself was now Shinigami, so he would have a better understanding of their kind than most.

* * *

**(With Orihime and Jidanbō)**

After the seventh thrust Jidanbō lost count and was looking a little perturbed. Then he stopped after noticing how much counting he was doing.

"Uh! Wait! I've never had to count this high before! But I must be at ten by now! So it's time to finish this!"

He brought his axe again for the final strike. But this time however, instead of attacking from above, he swiped it toward Orihime's left side, kicking up dirt and rock as his axe torn through the earth before crashing into his target. The rocks from his strike flew back toward the audience, who easily dodged or knocked away the falling rumble.

**AN:(End Track)**

Jidanbō let out a breath from his exertion. He relaxed, thinking the fight was over.

"Got her. I Think..."

However, when the last of the dust settled his eyes widened in shock. Where he thought he would find a dead opponent, was a completely unharmed Orihime. The girls shield standing between her and his massive axe.

"What! That's impossible! How could you still be standing after that attack!"

* * *

**(With Ichigo & Co.)**

Uryū looked on with a deadpan expression. He turn toward the others.

"This guy...Doesn't seem too bright does he?"

Chad seemed to thinking along the same lines but didn't comment on it. Ichigo didn't bother answering. Yoruichi shook her head slightly as she answered the Quincy.

"Well, Jidanbō may not be very bright. But at least he's better than some of the other Shinigami you'll see."

* * *

**(With Orihime and Jidanbō) **

Orihime looked up at the shocked giant giving him a determined scowl. Dismissing her shield.

"Are you finished, Jidanbō-san? Because now its my turn to attack."

For the first time in a long time, Jidanbō felt afraid.

******AN:(Insert Battle Music: Bleach OST 4 - Track 4 - Power to Strive)**

Suddenly, the air around them became heavier as Orihime released the strength of her reiatsu once more, her burnt-orange hair flowing wildly around her. This time it was denser and more focused and a bright gold column of energy burst from the teenage girl, giving her a slightly intimdating appearance before she reigned in the Reishi flowing from her body.

Jidanbō back up a step, but regained his courage as he stared down his smaller opponent.

"I'm not done! I'm not done! I just have to bring out some more weaponry!"

He reached into his shihakusho and pulled out an axe identical to his first one. He raised both weapons in a cross guard formation. Orihime blinked as the giants face turned red and his veins started to buldge out. The muscles in the gatekeeper's arms grew and the armor covering his left arm shattered from the strain. He frowned as he focused all his energy on his next move.

"My ultimate attack!" He raised both weapons above his head before swinging down at Orihime. "See if you can withstand, The Jidan Banzai Festival!"

Orihime eyes narrowed in concentration as the giant's weapons sped toward her.

When the attack hit, the ground around them was torn apart from the resulting shockwave. Jidanbō smirked, _'It's over.' _But then he noticed something, were Orihime should have been there was only rubble. _'What the-, Where'd she go!_' His question was anwsered a moment later when he sensed a strong reiatsu above him. He looked up to see Orihime standing in midair, her feet giving off a weird light. She smiled sweetly at him in a manner that scared him greatly.

"Sorry, Jidanbō-san. But this is where it ends."

He scowled and jumped up, swinging his axes with all his might at the girl.

"You haven't finished me yet!"

She gave him a sad but determined look as he leapt at her. Her hairpin glowed bright before a light shot toward the giant at incredible speed.

"Koten Zanshun...I reject."

* * *

**(With Ichigo & Co.)**

Ichigo and Uryū were confused when they saw Orihime's air-walking technique. It wasn't like Shunpo, Sonído, or Hirenkyaku but something new. Ichigo turned to Yoruichi who noticed their confusion.

"What technique is she using to stand on the air? I've never seen anything like it before."

Interestingly enough, It was Chad that answered him.

"It's called Hyomeihocho, or Manifestation Step. It's the method those with the power of Fullbring use to travel quickly over short distances. Essentially, it is the Fullbringer's equivalent to the Shinigami's Shunpo, or the Quincies Hirenkyaku."

Ichigo looked at tall mexican-japanese man in confusion.

"Fullbring?"

Chad continued seeing his friends were lost.

"It's the name of the power Orihime and I possess. According to that guy Love, they met people like us who explained it to them a few decades ago. Basically, Fullbring is a special ability which certain Humans called Fullbringers are born with, kinda like the Quincy. We each have had a parent who was attacked by a Hollow before they were born. Which left traces of the Hollows' powers in our mothers' bodies, which passed onto us when we were born. Thus, the powers resemble those of Hollows more than they resemble those of a Shinigami or a Quincy."

Ichigo and Uryū's faces hardened when they heard this. They never knew just how much Hollows' could effect the lives of the not only the dead, but the living as well. Ichigo speculated that if Orihime and Chad had never been near the Hōgyoku, their powers might never have awakened. However, it did explain alot. Chad not noticing this continued with his explaination.

"Fullbringers have the ability to manipulate the "soul" of matter for a variety of effects. However, unlike other spiritual powers, the Fullbring abilities do not and cannot change through growth. Fullbringers like me and Orihime have to progress to a certain level before we can use our abilities to their fullest. As such, the Fullbring of a user that has not reached such a level appears to be different, and can be considered incomplete."

He took a breath before continuing, his friends had never seen the guy speak as much as he doing was now.

Fullbring can be used for a variety of different things. Fullbring users can perform feats such as, pulling out the soul of a drink to have it help him drink it, pulling the soul out of the asphalt to make it more elastic or to even be able to walk on water by pulling on its soul. Hyomeihocho is an extention of this ability. When a Fullbringer uses it, their feet will begin to emanate a light called Bringer Light. Usually, this is a sign that the user is beginning to master Fullbring. It also allows us to accelerate in mid-air. I can do it, though I'm suprised she's able to, she really has come a long way."

Both of them looked at their friend and his newfound insight that could prove useful in the future. Their curiosity satisfied they turned back to the battle that was starting to heat up again.

* * *

Jidanbō's eyes narrowed as he watched the attack approach him. He tried to deflect it with his left axe, but then the light abruptly vanished before his eyes. Suddenly, his left shoulder exploded with agony. He turned just in time to watch in shock as Tsubaki completely severed Jidanbō's left arm from behind.

The giant let out a howl of anguish at the lost of his arm. which fell to the earth still gripping Jidanbō's axe. The unexpected amputation caused him to free fall backwards, letting go of his second axe and gripping the bloodly stump where his arm used to be. When he looked up he saw Orihime swiftly speeding toward him.

Orihime recalled Tsubaki as she sped toward the helpless Jidanbō. Seconds before she reached her target, she quickly gathered her reiatsu into her right palm. When she finally reached him, she unleashed a hakuda technique she learned from Yoruichi to deliver a powerful open palm strike to Jidanbō's unprotected chest. The blow knocked the air from the giant's lungs, but otherwise didn't harm him very much.

"Tesshō!"

The attack send the giant rocketing toward the earth. The behemoth landed on his back with a powerful crash causing a small crater.

**AN:(End Track)**

"AGGGGGGGGH!"

Orihime landed gracefully opposite Jidanbō, who was cradling his stump in silent agony. She looked at the giant with a sad expression.

"I'm sorry, Jidanbō-san I didn't want to hurt you. But I couldn't let you win so you could attack my friends. Forgive me, I didn't want to...I feel so bad."

Her eyes darted to Jidanbō's stump. Jidanbō himself, after he forced himself to ignore the pain, saw the sadness in the girls eyes as she looked at him, remorseful about what she did. It was then he noticed just how like Unohana she actually was, that this girl didn't like fighting. He smiled gently toward her tears streaming down his face.

"No your not bad Orihime, even though your my enemy you care! Instead of only thinking of your quest and your desire to get through the gate, your actually concerned about your opponent and his arm! What a good person you are Orihime! What a generous heart you have."

Orihime looked confused for a moment before smiling down at the fallen giant. It was a sight that melted his heart.

"Thank you, Jidanbō-san. Don't you worry about a thing, ok. You'll be fine before you know it."

The giant blinked his tear-filled eyes.

"What are you-"

Orihime smiled brightly at him as her hairpins glowed.

"Sōten Kisshun...I reject!"

As she said the incantation, two lights streaked from her hairpins and formed a half-oval barrier around Jidanbō's bloody stump.

As the other's approached, Uryū was about to ask Orihime what she was doing when he saw something that made his jaw drop slightly. The place where the arm was missing was starting to rapidly regenerate. After a minute the Chad, Uryū, and Jidanbō looked on amazed as they beheld Jidanbō's completely restored left arm. The giant stood up looking from his arm to Orihime.

"How?...Why?"

She smiled as she walked up to the stunned giant.

"My Sōten Kisshun, allows me to return anything within it's boundaries back to the state it was in before taking damage, and I couldn't just leave you like that. Even if you are my enemy, I can't stand to see people cry."

Jidanbō's eyes turned tearful again before he wiped them away. He stood up before the group.

"I've been acting like a big baby! All that crying over losing one little arm. I'm an embrassment as a man!"

He looked down and sulked in with a depressed look on his face.

"I'm a total loser."

Then he looked at the group with a smile before raising his arms above his head.

"A TOTAL LOSER! You have beaten me not only as a warrior and gatekeeper, you have defeated me as a man as well!"

Orihime, Chad, and Uryū blinked in confusion as the giant looked back down at them. Ichigo and Yoruichi didn't react at all, though for different reasons. Ichigo because he knew this would happen, and Yoruichi because she knew Jidanbō well enough to know to expect this kind of behavior.

"It has been 300 years since I became the keeper of the west gate. And in all those years, never have I lost a challenge, or allowed anyone to pass this way. I thought the day would never come, but you were the first person to defeat me."

He wiped his tears away before he stood back up to his full height to address them.

"Therefore, I Jidanbō, hereby grant you passage through the west gate."

The three non-shinigami of the group were shocked. Orihime then gave the giant a big bright smile that caused the gatekeeper to blush alittle.

"Oh thank you Jidanbō-san!"

Uryū questioned about the giant's decision.

"Your allowing all of us to pass?"

Jidanbō turned his gaze to Uryū.

"That right. I was decisively defeated by Orihime-chan in battle. As a result, I have no right to stop any one of her group from entering."

Uryū's eyes narrowed when the giant added the affectionate suffix to the orange-haired girl's name. He suspected that giant was only letting the rest of them through because they were Orihime's friends, but didn't comment on it as it really didn't matter to him. He nodded in acceptance of the behemoth's response. Jidanbō shook his head as he turned and placed his hand on the gate itself.

"Well whatever, you take care now. I don't know why your so determined to pass through this gate. But those you meet on the otherside are all very strong. "

Ichigo smirked toward the giant. "We're aware of that."

Jidanbō looked back toward them. "Very well, as long as you think you know what your getting into."

He turned his back to them toward the gate. "Now stand back and I'll open the gate for you."

Ichigo and the others backed away from the giant as he prepared to open the towering gate. Ichigo knew he could have lifted it himself, but decided to let Jidanbō do it to prepare to defend the giant from the person he knew was waiting behind the gate. He wouldn't allow Gin to hurt Jidanbō this time. The gaint leaned down and gripped the bottom of the gate.

"Uggh, this isn't going to be easy. It's been closed a long time."

Jidanbō then started grunting as he used his great strength to lift the heavy gate. He heaved the gate open as he rose to his feet, his muscles bulging with the effort of opening the gate. His face then became determined and then, with a mighty heave, the gate opened before his strength.

When the giant saw what was on the other side he froze in terror.

On the otherside of the gate walking leisurely toward them was the 3rd divison captain, Gin Ichimaru. However, before he began to sweat in fear. Ichigo appeared between them. Then both shinigami eyes widened as they suddenly felt a heavy, monsterous reiatsu bear down on them. Gin thrown off guard by Ichigo's appearence and opened his bright sky-blue eyes.

******AN:(Insert Battle Music: Bleach OST 1 - Track 15 - Catch 22)**

Ichigo, whose bangs had been shadowing his eyes looked at the captian, his eyes glowing a bright ice-blue. His gaze held a power Gin had never seen before. Ichigo's group and Jidanbō were amazed by the sheer power he gave off, even Yoruichi, who was used to being around captain-class Shinigami, was impressed. Gin eyes narrowed as they locked with Ichigo's.

"Who are you?"

Ichigo stared back impassively, Gin began to grow uneasy as those eyes bored into him. He quickly drew his Zanpakutō, just as Ichigo vanished and reappeared before the silver-haired captian. Their swords clanged together as clashed, generating a gust from the force. The ground beneath Gin's feet cracked under the pressure as he struggled to keep himself from being overwhelmed by the younger Shinigami's Nodachi. Gin frowned. _'This guy's strong.' _

"Ichigo Kurosaki, the man who will bring your master to his knees."

**Chapter End.**

* * *

Like it? I sure hope so, because I think I may be a little rusty after not writing in so long. If you have any questions please make them in the reviews or send me an PM and I will answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability.

Please send LOTS, LOTS, and LOTS of reviews and tell me what you all think!

Signed,

MathiasNightlord01


End file.
